Electric sterilizer for hypodermic syringes and the like



R. v. BRANDT 2,166,284

ELECTRIC STERILIZER FOR HYPODERMIC SYRINGES AND THE LIKE July 1s, 1939;

Filed March 9, 1938 "pub ATTORNEYS Patented July 18, 1939 UNITED STATES ELECTRIC STERILIZER FOR HYPODERMIC SYRINGES AND THE LIKE Raymond V. Brandt, Clermont, Iowa Application March 9, 1938, Serial No. 194,952

5 Claims.

This invention relates to electric sterilizers and more particularly to a device for sterilizing hypodermic syrings, surgical and dental tools, and the like.

The invention has for its principal object to produce a simple yet practical and efficient electrically heated sterilizer device which is effectively insulated and constructed and arranged so that the sterilizing liquid is quickly heated and maintained in heated condition by direct contact with the electrodes, and whereby, also, the electric circuit becomes broken when the liquid is depleted or falls below a given level in the device.

With the foregoing and other objects to be attained the invention consists in the novel structure and parts, and, arrangements thereof as will hereinafter more fully appear in the following description and set forth with particularity in the appended claims, reference being had to the accompanying drawing forming a part of the speciflcation and illustrating practical adaptations of the invention, in which Figure 1 is a vertical section of one form of the sterilizer constructed in accordance with the invention;

Figure 2 is an inverted plan view of the base portion of the device;

Figure 3 is a fragmentary vertical section showing a modification of the liquid container and insulated casing, and

Figure 4 is a fragmentary View of a further modification of the device.

Referring now to the drawing, and more particularly to the structure shown in Figures 1 and 2 thereof, the numeral I0 designates the base portion of a casing which is generally cylindrical and has a central tubular column II extending upwardly therefrom. This casing base and tubular column may be constructed in any approved manner and of any suitable material. However, for practical purposes, it is preferably made of Bakelite or similar characteristic material and formed or molded integrally in one piece. As shown, the base I0 is open at its bottom and the tubular column I I is also open-ended.

Supported within the casing is a metallic liquid container, the upper portion I2 of which is tubular and extends through the tubular column portion II of the casing, said portion I2 of the container having an out-turned annular flange I3 at its upper Vend which overhangs the adjacent end portion of the column II whereby to support the container within the outer casing.

At the lower end of the tubular portion I2 of the liquid container is a flared enlargement I4 having a depending annular collar or cylindrical flange portion I5 constituting the heating chamber IB of the container. The cylindrical enlargement I5 is closed at its lower end by a headplate I'I having an annular marginal flange I 8 which is sleeved over the adjacent circumferential portion of the enlargement I5 and attached thereto, as by a screw-threaded engagement I9, as shown, or by any other approved method whereby to make the connection leak-tight. To afford a more dependable sealing effect, a gasket 2U may be provided between the head-plate I'I and the adjacent end of the cylindrical portion I5 of the container, which latter is provided with an inturned annular flange 2I for the purpose.

Mounted centrally on the inner face of the head-plate I1 and in direct electrical contact therewith is an electrode 22 of circular disc-like form and composed of carbon or any other material suitable for the purpose. spaced cooperative relation above the electrode 22 is a similar electrode 23, said electrodes being normally insulated from each other. Preferably, as shown, the upper electrode 23 is supported on a stem 24 composed of a suitable insulation material, said stem 24 having a reduced lower end portion 25 which extends through an axial opening in the lower electrode 22 and a registered opening in the head-plate I'I, said reduced portion 25 terminating with a flanged enlargement 26 abutting the outer face of the plate I'I surrounding the central opening therein and the parts being engaged with leak-tight effect therebetween.

The upper electrode 23 is provided with a central opening through which a bolt 21 is inserted and extended through a longitudinal bore in the insulating stern 24, said bolt serving the dual purpose of holding the upper electrode in place on said stem 24 and as an electrical conductor between said electrode and a circuit wire 28 which is attached at its end to the bolt 2'I between a collar 29 abutting the flanged lower portion 26 of the insulating stem 24 and a clamping nut 30 provided on the screw-threaded lower portion of said bolt 2'I.

As above stated, the lower electrode 22 is in direct electrical contact with the head-plate I'I and, therefore, the electrical circuit connection for said lower electrode 22 is effected in a practical manner by attaching the end of the opposite circuit wire 3I to said plate I'I, the connection being effected by providing the head-plate I I with a terminal screw element 32 having a washer Supported in l 33 and opposed nut 34 between which the end of said wire 3I is clamped.

In the use of the device the sterilizing liquid is provided in the inner metallic container up to a desired level within the tubular upper extension I2 thereof and the liquid in the lower enlargement or heating chamber I6 of the container completes the circuit between the two electrodes 22 and 23, whereupon the liquid becomes heated and circulates throughout its entire body within the container. In this connection, it is noted that should the liquid level fall below the upper electrode 23 the electrical circuit is thereby automatically broken and the liability of damaging the device is minimized by practically preventing the overheating and burning out of the electrodes.

In order to support hypoderrnic syringes and other implements for sterilization in the upper tubular portion of the device a detachable cap member or collar 35 is provided, said cap member, as shown, having an annular marginal ilange 36 to t over the adjacent end portion of the column I I of the'outer casing and a central opening 31 through which the instrument is inserted into the sterilizer. Preferably, interchangeable cap members 35 are provided, said cap members having central openings 31 of different diameters, .and by which provision hypodermic syringes and other implements of various diameters may be suspended axially within the upper column portion I2 of the container and in spaced relation to the cylindrical wall thereof. In this connection, it may be also noted that said cap members 35 are preferably made vof Bakelite or some other suitable material of non-electric conductivity and detachably secured in place by any suitable means, preferably by a screw-threaded attachment to the outer tube II as shown.

The structure may be modified as shown in Figure 3, wherein the outer casing, including the base and upper column portion, may be made of metal, as at 38, and the interior liquid container column portion I2 and widened base portion` I4' thereof being spaced throughout from said outer casing, with an interposed insulating ller 39.

As shown, the elongated upper portion of the ller 39 is cylindrical and corresponds to the form of the tubular column portions of the outer casing and inner liquid container, said insulating filler 39 having an annularly anged lower portion 40 which is disposed between the top of the base portion of the outer casing and the annular enlargement I4 of the lower chambered portion of said liquid container. In other respects the structural arrangements may be as shown in Figure l of the drawing, except that the upper end flange I3 of the tube I2 is omitted and the cap member 35 is merely placed loosely on the tubular column.

A further structural modification is shown in Figure 4, wherein the inner container tube I2 is of the same diameter throughout the entire length thereof, that is to say, it has no enlarged heating chamber at its lower end, such as shown in Figures l-and"3, and the bottom plate or closure member I1 has its annular flange portion I8 attached directly to the end of the tube I2. In lieu of the two electrode discs 22 and 23 as provided in the form of the device shown in Figure l, a hollow cylindrical electrode 22', which may be of the same material as the hereinbefore described disc '22, is fitted in direct contact with the inner surface of the lower end portion of the tube I2 and also in end contact with the closure plate I1', which latter has the circuit wire 3| attached thereto substantially the same as in the modification shown in Figure l. Disposed axially within the cylindrical electrode 22 and out of direct electrical contact therewith is a stud-like electrode 23' having an axial bore through which a securing bolt 21 extends, said bolt continuing through an axial opening in an insulating element 24 mounted in a central opening in the closure plate I1' and supporting said electrode 23 out of direct electrical contact with said closure plate I1', the bolt 21 being secured in substantially the same manner as the bolt 21 of the first herein described modification and said fastening means affording an attachment for the opposite circuit wire 28. In other respects the structure may be the same as in either of the two hereinbefore described modications.

The hypodermic syringe or other article to be sterilized is shown conventionally in the drawing by dotted lines in Figure 1 thereof and designated generally by the numeral 4I.

Obviously-,the structure may be modified in many -respectsnother than. herein specifically mentioned, within the spirit and scope of the invention as dened in the appended claims. The invention, therefore, is not limited to the specific constructions and arrangements shown in the accompanying drawing.

What is claimed is:

l. An electrical sterilizer comprising a sup- .Y

porting casing having a substantial widened base portion and a central upstanding tubular column, a metallic liquid container of electrical conductivity having a tubular column extending through the column portion of said casing and an extended t heating chamber at its lower portion located within the base portion of said casing, an electrical heating element within the heating chamber of said liquid container, and a detachable collar element mounted on the upper end of the column portion of said outer casing for supporting an article dependingly within the inner column portion of the device for sterilization.

2. An electrical sterilizer comprising an outer supporting casing having a base portion of substantial width and a central upstanding tubular column, a liquid container comprising a lower heating chamber located within the base portion of said outer casing and havinga metallic bottom closure of electrical conductivity, said liquid container having a tubular column portion extending through the tubular column of the outer casing, a detachable article supporting collar element mounted on the outer end oi' the column portion of the outer casing, a pair of electrodes spaced apart and insulated from each other in their mounting within the heating charnber of said liquid container, said electrodes being separately connected in an electric circuit, the one directly to a circuit wire and the other through the metallic bottom of the container to a circuit wire, the electric circuit being completed by the liquid in the container in body sufficient to connect the two electrodes.

3. The herein described sterilizer, comprising an outer supporting casing having a cylindrical base portion of substantial diameter and a central upstanding tubular column and being open at its opposite ends, an inner liquid container having a tubular open ended upper portion flanged annularly at its upper end to overhang the adjacent end of the column portion of the outer casing and being supported throughout its extent within -said column portion and insulated therefrom, said inner container having an enlarged (ifi cylindrical lower portion constituting a heating chamber and disposed within the base portion of said outer casing, the bottom of the heating chamber being composed of metal of electrical conductivity and detachable, electrical heating means within said heating chamber comprising a pair of vertically opposed disc-like electrodes in spaced relation and insulated from each other, said electrodes being located centrally of the heating chamber in the lower portion thereof, one directly in electrical contact with the bottom oi the heating chamber and the other having an insulated terminal extended outside the chamber bottom, and separate electrical circuit wires ccnnected to said upper and lower electrodes through said insulated terminal and metallic chamber bottom, respectively.

4. In an electrical sterilizer, an outer supporting casing, an inner liquid container made of electrically conducting material, supported within said casing and insulated therefrom, the outer casing having a base portion of substantial width and the inner container having a lower heating chamber portion within the base of the container, said outer casing having a central upstanding tubular column and the inner container having a tubular upper extension supported within the column of the outer casing, and heating means within the heating chamber of said inner container, said heating means comprising a disc-like electrode supported in electrical contact with the bottom of the heating chamber, and a similar electrode supported on an axial stem of insulation material above said first mentioned electrode, said stem extending through the lower electrode to the outside of the heating chamber through the bottom thereof, a securing bolt of electrical conductivity engaging and supporting the upper electrode on said insulation stem and extending outside the heating chamber 'through an axial bore provided therefor in said stem, a circuit wire attached electrically to said bolt, and an opposite circuit wire attached electrically to the bottom of the heating chamber portion of said inner container.

5. In an electrical sterilizer of the character described, an outer supporting casing having an upstanding tubular column portion, a tubular container extending through the column portion of the casing, the upper ends of the casing column and the container tube being open and coinciding, the bottom of the container tube being provided with a detachable metallic closure head oi electrical conductivity, spaced electrodes in the bottom portion of the container and insulated from each other, one of said electrodes being in electrical Contact with the closure head of the container and the other electrode electrically insulated from said closure head and having a combined securing bolt and electrical terminal element extended through the closure head and insulated therefrom, said securing and terminal bolt being connected to one of the circuit wires and the closure head connected to another of the circuit wires to a source of electrical energy.

RAYMOND V. BRANDT. 

